Multiverse Theory is a wonderful thing
by kathalynn
Summary: In a world that is fairly close to the one on JL: War and JL: Atlantis the newly formed Justice League have a new world challenge. An extraterrestrial threat once again threatens and they must rely on the help of the last Martian, J'onn J'onzz, but is he as alone as he thought? Takes plotlines from multiple places, rated T because I've upped the violence. Reviewing will make my day
1. are you still paranoid if you're right

Several months after the war against Darkseid and the formation of the league, three months after the league was cemented during the battle for the Atlantian throne when Batman began detecting anomalies in the deep space scanners, thinking it better to investigate before calling in the League he infiltrates one of the labs as the night shift starts.

Sitting in the rafters he watches one of the workers leave, there is a gap of about three seconds before one of the remaining three stood up and spoke to the others in a different language, nothing that Batman recognised so it wasn't likely of Earth. Batman narrowed his eyes as the three of them gathered and the smallest one in appearance lifted a huge computer over his head with relative ease and another clawed a large hole in the wall revealing something that was definitely not of earth.

He followed them up to the top of the satellite dish in time to see them place the device from the wall on top of a vent and watch it melt into the dish. "I don't think that modification is legal," Batman quipped, announcing his presence. A lot of people, especially the Joker, are convinced he doesn't have a sense of humour, they would be wrong. Batman threw a bola at the two men before engaging the woman. It didn't go his way and the two men defied human biology and stretched, slipping out of the tangled bola wires.

A short exchange later and Batman heard someone he both did and didn't want to hear. "Need any help?" came Superman's unsarcastic question.  
"I got it," Batman answered back, throwing a batarang and avoiding an attack. He heard Superman mutter something about them not looking that tough and probably moving to help before clutching at his head and crying out before falling out of the sky and landing heavily on the walkway. Batman moved, ignoring the threesome, to help.

Swearing internally when they activated the device, Batman moved to the edge of the dish and deployed his grapple to get them out of there before the satellite exploded, the shockwave sending the two flying, knocking the unconscious Superman out of Batman's grasp. The two of them tumbled down the hill, Batman forcing himself to a halt next to the prone form of Superman. He watched in disbelief as the three mangled beings pulled themselves out of a hole, two of them pulling limbs out of and through each other.

Batman watched them disappear into the tree-line before a groan from Superman drew his attention. "What happened?" asked the Man-of-Steel.  
Batman helped him stand, "You tell me," he countered.  
Superman still seemed a little disoriented as he answered, "Not sure. Images in my head. So intense," he said in broken sentences, "that's all I remember," he confessed.  
Batman looked over to the destroyed and burning satellite lab, Superman followed his gaze, "Obviously they didn't want to leave any evidence behind," he said, the barest hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Superman turned back to Batman, "You want to tell me what's going on now?" he asked, slightly demanding.  
"For a few months now I've been detecting security breaches into our deep-space global monitoring network," Batman divulged.  
"And you didn't think to tell the League?" Superman asked.  
Batman almost shrugged, "I wanted to make sure I had something before bringing it to the League's attention, there is something more here than meets the eye," he confessed.

Superman nodded in agreement remembering that Darkseid's invasion had been precursered by abductions as well as the computer boxes of doom. "I'd help out but I'm due back in Metropolis," he said, reaching around to pull something out of a pocket.  
"Another key to the city?" Batman asked sarcastically, which Superman ignored handing him a red faced watch on a brown leather strap.  
"Here," he said, glad Batman actually accepted it without a suspicious glare, "It's a signal watch, call if you need any help," he explained, smirking slightly at Batman's dare-he-say-it playful glare.

"Right," Batman said, clearly cocking an eyebrow under the cowl before looking to the exploded building, seemingly calculating something before stowing the watch away in his utility belt. Superman smiled and flew away and Batman left to do his own thing.

Later in a meeting of the World Leaders Superman and the League was officially appointed the 'World's Protectors' and over the next six months Superman worked to deactivate the worlds' nuclear weapons, much to the growing support of the public. The Flash was supportive of the sentiment but pessimistic about the outcome, quoted saying, "I'm the fasted man alive but even I can't be in five places at once."  
The Green Lantern, Wonder Woman and Aquaman were busy with their own duties, Shazam and Cyborg were on the fence about the whole thing. Shazam really liked the title and Batman continued to investigate, generally seeming to ignore the whole thing.

On the same night that Superman received another vision, Batman was investigating an abandoned Star Laboratory. He found an object similar to the one used to blow up the satellite but ducked into the shadows when he saw two of the three beings coming out of a room. Waiting until they had left Batman slipped into the room, finding three red egg-like pods suspended in the corner of the office. They seemed to hold bodies of the three that Batman encountered before.

Slicing one of the pods open, Batman caught the man as he fell out, gently lowering him to the floor and checking his pulse. The pod seemed to have been keeping the man in a suspended state in a limbo between life and death as the weak and thready pulse that he could feel quickly stopped. Before Batman could really react there was a growling sound. Turning his torch Batman illuminated a large and vicious looking dog. The dog was quick to attack, instantly having Batman at a disadvantage.

Avoiding the teeth snapping at his face, Batman kicked the dog away. Leaping to avoid the dog's return charge Batman used a bit of acrobatics to swing from one pipe and land out of reach on another. Looking down at the growling dog, Batman was surprised when it started walking up the wall to come after him. He was astonished to see it morph into something transparent, slimy with white and red markings and too many teeth.

The thing leapt at him, knocking him off the pipe. Batman hit some boxes on the way down, followed by some empty oil drums before landing hard on the concrete floor. The creature followed him down and sent him flying with a back handed hit as he tried to stand, sending him through a wall, a solid shelving unit and into another one before he dropped to the floor. The shelves followed him down, the only thing saving him from being instantly crushed was the fact the top shelf landed on the other toppled shelving unit.

Superman was splashing his face with water in an attempt to recover from the vision when he heard it, the high pitched beeping of the signal watch he gave Batman. Following the sound Superman quickly found his way to the trashed Star Laboratory, he actually used the door to go inside. Using his X-ray vision to scan the building he almost panicked when he saw Batman trapped underneath the toppled shelving unit. "Batman!" he gasped before lifting the heavy metal shelves quickly but carefully off his friend.


	2. What is it?

Gently picking Batman up, holding him in the instinctual bridal style, he wondered if he should take the unconscious man to headquarters when a flaming meteor flew pass overhead and crash land in central park. Sighing Superman flew off, carrying Batman, muttering, "It's just one thing after another." Coming to the crash site Superman observed the flaming space rock that had come to a halt in the middle of the road. Batman groaned and shifted in Superman's hold, drawing his attention, looking around he spotted an ambulance. "Medic!" he called to draw their attention as he flew down, laying Batman down on the gurney they had pulled from the back of the ambulance in preparation.

"He needs help," Superman explained as the paramedics looked a little stunned at the unconscious Batman.  
"What happened to him?" one of them asked.  
"I'm not sure," he answered even as he took off to help deal with the meteor. The paramedic paused for a moment as the situation sunk in before shaking herself out of it and checking Batman's pulse. She reached uncertainly for his cowl when he grabbed her wrist suddenly, stopping her.  
"Don't even think about it," he growled, with his patented death glare.

Meanwhile, helicopters and news crews had arrived just as the fire department had put out the meteor. Steam erupted from the side of the meteor and Superman snagged two soldiers as he flew to get them out of the way of being crushed to death by a three legged thing that seemed to birth itself from the space rock. The tripod of death then proceeded to blow up a police car with a red beam signalling its unfriendly nature.

Superman rushed at the thing only to be knocked flying by a prolonged blast of red beam, bouncing him off a rooftop and a road before he landed unconscious in a crater. The thing made a slow rampage, blowing up the fire trucks and ignoring all attempts to shoot it.

The paramedic tending to Batman looked away, distracted by the explosions, Batman used this opportunity to grapple himself into his summoned Batplane. Shooting the thing with two missiles only served to annoy it as Batman discovered and had to use some spectacular manoeuvrings to avoid the shots fired at him, managing to draw it out of the city and into the river. Superman woke up and went at the thing with a few powerful hits, knocking it off balance into a pillar of the bridge. He tried ripping the thing open but it refocused and blasted him away again and through a building.

Even as Superman recovered two more tripods of death were birthed from the meteor and while Batman continued to draw their attention, waiting for the rest of the League to get there, Superman was hit with an even stronger vision. Suddenly stilling for several long seconds he randomly said, "I understand," and flew off in the opposite direction to the evil tripods. In his rush he nearly clipped Batman who had to dodge.  
"Where is he going?" Batman wondered out loud before noticing a few fighter jets flanking him. Taking the opportunity Batman wheeled around and took off after Superman.

Following Superman to a trashed military facility, following the trail of destruction his eye caught on a door off its hinges. Going inside he round a room packed full of podded people. The sound of something getting bashed out of shape caused Batman to remember why he was there. Following the sound of Superman punching something not meant to bend Batman came upon Superman using a very large, secure looking vault door as a punching bag. Mentally lamenting the inelegance of Superman's solution, Batman got his attention with a batarang, not stupid enough to surprise the man with super strength within reach.

Superman stopped and turned. "Destruction of government property isn't your style, what's going on?" Batman questioned, stepping out of the shadows as he talked.  
"See for yourself," Superman responded, pulling the enormous steel door out of its reinforced setting with little more than an exerting grunt. Batman followed the kryptonian through a long room studying the monitors that obviously showed a physiology that wasn't human. Shoving a smaller vault door out of the way as if it was merely pine, Superman revealed the purpose of his destructive visit. It was a green being, humanoid in base structure, looking a little like a muscular man. Skeletal looking hands and feet with three digits each, a flat angular face that had no nose or lips.

The being was imprisoned upright, a clamp around each ankle and wrist, its arms held up and out to the sides and a stasis device clamped around it's elongated cranium. "What is it?" Batman asked, knowing that sounded a little rude but the being wasn't anything he recognized.  
"Mankind's only hope," was Superman's vague and dramatic answer. Pushing two levers Superman released the clamps holding the unconscious being. Superman rushed to catch them as they fell forward, coming to at the movement.

"He's been trying to reach out to me telepathically but that stasis field interfered, when he finally got through I came to rescue him," Superman explained as the being supported his own weight on all fours, seeming to be fully conscious now.  
"What's he doing here?" Batman questioned, he was a little perturbed when the being answered in a creepy telepathic voice.  
"Invasion," was all he said, looking up, freaking Batman a little. His psychic voice smoothed out and became more like melted chocolate than smoker's voice, "I came to warn you but I was imprisoned here, they didn't listen," he explained, standing up with the aid of Superman.

"Big Surprise," Batman commented dryly as his momentary worry had gone.  
"I sense you do not trust me," the unnamed being said, "perhaps this will help," it suggested. Batman and Superman stepped back in surprise as the being's form shifted. Its green skin shifted to form a black bodysuit that had red bands crossing like an X on his chest and one around his waist, thinner ones bordered the suit and decorated his biceps and thighs. A royal blue cape sat across his broad shoulders, the collar high and tight on his neck and two gold disks sat where the red bands on his chest started, almost like clasps or buttons. The cloak was trimmed in red and he had blue boots. His features softened slightly and he developed basic human features, small full lips, a brow and a basic nose shape.

"I am J'onn J'onzz," the being introduced himself, holding his hand out to Batman. After a second or so of non-action from Batman, Superman stepped between them.  
"Don't take it personally, he doesn't trust anyone," the Man-of-Steel explained.  
"A wise policy," J'onn agreed.  
As they left the building and Superman was explaining that they had to go to the joint chiefs a spotlight hit them. "Stop right there, Superman!" a soldier called out, "Our orders are to keep that freak here," he continued harshly.

"Wait, I'll vouch for him!" Superman called, stepping protectively in front of J'onn, "You must let us go," he continued noticing Batman step back and prepare for a fight, "the safety of the world is at stake" he added, hoping for a peaceful resolution.  
He knew he wouldn't get one when the soldier smirked, "That's why you'll never leave alive," he said threateningly as he shifted into a humanoid version of the evil blob monster that attacked Batman earlier.


	3. Blob monsters fromMars?

The entire platoon of soldiers morphed into the creatures, advancing on the three, "It's them!" J'onn called out, confirming their suspicions.  
The parasites began firing. Superman got shot backwards into a tank while Batman pushed J'onn out of the way and the two of them ducked behind an overturned truck.  
Batman drew a beeping batarang, "Stay down," he warned J'onn, flinging the device at the parasites. A huge ball of white energy exploded from the batarang knocking the front wave of parasites flying.

One of the creatures came up behind Batman as he prepared another batarang.  
"Behind you!" J'onn warned, shifting his density to ghost through Batman, blocking the beam that would've killed a human. Batman knocked the creature out with a batarang before going to J'onn's side.  
"J'onn! Are you-?" he began, J'onn cutting him off with a shake of his head and a groan as he clutched his chest.

Putting one of J'onn's arms over his shoulders Batman picked the unconscious Martian up, "Come on," Batman said needlessly as he looked for an out. Escape came in the form of Superman lifting a tank to shield them from fire.  
"Go, I'll cover you," he yelled over the sound of gunfire. Nodding Batman dragged J'onn over to the Batplane, lifting him into the rear seat. Jumping into the pilot seat Batman prepared for take-off, not noticing J'onn wake up and his eyes glow.

Superman saw the Batplane take off and threw the tank, the resulting explosion covering their exit. Several dozen ships gave chase through the canyons. Batman gave them a serious run for their money but with Superman knocked away from giving cover it was only a matter of time. Batman fought for control when a blast knocked off one of his wings. As the plane spiralled it was caught in a stabilizing glow of green light.  
"Hey there, Batman," Hal Jordan greeted him.

Batman growled as J'onn ghosted out of the plane and joined the other flying Leaguers in the skies. Shazam gave cover to Hal as he supported the damaged Batplane, destroying three of the alien crafts with his lightning attacks. Hal put the plane down on a Cliffside clearing, flying off to join Superman and J'onn.  
"Sorry I'm late, there was an uprising near Rigel nine," he apologised in his own bragging way.

Shazam, Superman, J'onn, Cyborg and Wonder Woman all quickly took down the alien air craft. Batman having to dodge one of the falling crafts. Wonder Woman defended Shazam after he got hit, using her bracelets to reflect the beams. Flash turned up soon after the fighting was done with the missing wing of the Batplane.  
"Hey Bats, I think you dropped this," he quipped. The others soon gathered on the cliff to discuss things while Cyborg, Batman and Superman reattached the wing, Superman using his heat vision as a welding torch.

"Okay, so I'm usually quick on the uptake but could someone tell me what the hell is going on?" Flash asked, "Random voices in my head calling for help is really new to me," he added, deciding he needed to lighten the atmosphere.  
The League all looked to J'onn who repeated what he had told Superman and Batman earlier. Superman finished the last weld on the Batplane as he finished up explaining.  
"So, J'onn J'onzz, you came from Mars to warn us?" Wonder Woman clarified.  
"This is too weird," Flash commented.  
"I've seen weirder," Hal countered.

"We first encountered them a thousand of your earth years ago," J'onn began explaining, "It was a golden age, our Martian civilization was at its height of peace and prosperity," he told them, a hint of nostalgia creeping into his tone.  
"And then They arrived," he continued darkly, "where they came from no one knew but they were determined to make our planet their own. We Martians were peaceful people and the taking of any life was abhorrent to us but we quickly learned the ways of war," J'onn's tone was one bitter sadness as his tale continued.

"For centuries the battles raged on, every trace of our once great civilization was obliterated. We fought valiantly but they were parasites who fed on our psychic energy. As we grew weaker, They grew stronger, they even absorbed our shape changing abilities," J'onn was lost deep in his own mind as he recounted the story.  
J'onn sighed, "Finally, with the loss of our youngest, our small group of survivors mounted one final, desperate attack," the League had images of the firefight playing in their minds, "Inside their underground stronghold we unleashed a powerful nerve gas that paralysed them, the attack was successful but the cost was dear. I was the only survivor, the last of my kind, I sealed up their citadel to keep them in a state of suspended animation," the images faded from the League's mind as J'onn left his memories.

"For over 500 years I stood guard over them but then, while I was in a hibernation cycle, astronauts from earth unsealed the stronghold and accidentally revived the parasites," J'onn finished explaining to them.  
"Wait, those astronauts never said anything about finding life on Mars," Shazam interjected.  
"Hmph, some pencil pusher in Washington probably decided it should be classified information," Flash responded.

"With all the Martians gone the parasites had nothing to left to feed upon so they turned their sights to Earth, I narrowly escaped and came here to warn of the coming danger, while I was being held against my will the parasites sent advanced agents to disable the Earth's defences," J'onn added, drawing the conversation back on track.  
"That's why they disabled the deep space monitoring network so we couldn't detect their activities," Batman mused out loud, mostly for the benefit of the other Leaguers.

"We've got to stop them before it's too late!" Shazam put out there.  
"It may already be too late," J'onn countered. There was a huge rumbling and clanking sound.  
"What was that?" Cyborg asked.  
"It's begun," J'onn answered cryptically, looking off into the distance at an ominous mass of clouds that crackled with lightning.  
"I would like to say right now, not my fault," Shazam declared, trying to lighten the mood.  
Cyborg gave Shazam a look before asking J'onn, "What are they doing?"  
"They are nocturnal, they want to blot out the sun so they can live in perpetual darkness," J'onn answered.

"Friends of yours?" Hal asked Batman.  
"Still not a vampire," Batman answered stoically, without missing a beat.  
"Can you make another batch of that nerve gas?" Flash asked J'onn.  
"Unfortunately, no," J'onn answered before real sorrow entered his features, "The secret of the gas died with R'ahnn, the youngest, my daughter," he explained, his voice growing soft.  
"I'm sorry," Flash said.  
J'onn gave a small, sad smile, "It is alright, she often visits me in my dreams," he assured the speedster.

"Okay, so do we have a plan 'B'?" Hal asked, for once using tact and keeping his usual sarcasm out of his voice.  
"We'll have to take out the factories," Cyborg supplied.  
"We'll need to split up to be efficient," Batman added, "Shazam, you'll go with Superman, Cyborg, you'll go with Flash and Lantern, Wonder Woman and J'onn-"  
"Will go with you," Superman interjected, earning a glare from Batman but he refused to budge, he wasn't letting the only one of them without any powers go off on his own. Batman relented with a sigh and an 'I hate you,' said just loud enough that Superman would hear it. Superman smirked.


	4. Failed first charge

Cyborg, Flash and Lantern didn't do too well, not having any plan as Hal ignored both Flash and Cyborg and charged causing the two of them to rescue him when he got knocked out by some type of gas, cyborg managing to take out two of the tripods before they retreated by blowing up some sort of organic land-mine. Shazam and Superman took out their tripods, Superman using one of the thing's legs to smash a hole in the side of the factory.  
"Cool," Shazam commented as they infiltrated the factory before following Superman silently, he'd learned his lesson on not goofing off during these situations.

In Egypt Batman and Wonder Woman waited for J'onn to return.  
"Hiding like cowards is not the Amazon way," she protested.  
"We have to find their weakness, then we'll strike," Batman soothed.  
J'onn phased up through the ground, "I scouted around the outer walls, there are no openings," he reported.  
"Then we make our own," Wonder Woman decided, drawing her sword and charging one of the tripods, cutting off one of its legs and using her lasso to cause it to topple into the side of the factory creating a huge hole. Batman and J'onn took out the other two tripods before following Wonder Woman inside, who was deflecting laser shots with her bracelets. Batman noticed that the parasites actively avoided the sunlight now streaming through the destroyed wall.

Meanwhile Shazam took out a group of parasites that attacked them, striking them all with lightning. "Did you see that?" Shazam asked excitedly, "They exploded!" he added, his enthusiasm getting the better of him. He settled down when Superman raised an eyebrow at him, "Sorry," he apologised. They flew through the factory together, before they knew it they were drawn into a trap, the door closing as Shazam gave chase. A gas was pumped into the room, Shazam choking on it, "Superman," he called out, looking to the older hero. Superman turned and tried to break down the door trapping them, only to be zapped with a high energy current which knocked him out as well.

"They've blocked us off again," Wonder Woman almost complained as she deflected shots.  
"It's almost as if they know what we're thinking," Batman remarked, throwing an exploding batarang and scattering the parasites, "any ideas J'onn?" he asked the Martian. Turning when he didn't get an answer he saw J'onn's eyes glowing, "J'onn? J'onn!" he called trying to get a response.  
"Superman and Shazam are down, they have failed," he updated them.  
"What? Are you sure?" Wonder Woman questioned, not wanting to believe it.  
J'onn nodded, "I can sense it," he confirmed.

Suddenly he pointed down a corridor, "This way! Hurry!" he called, leading the way. They dodged the parasites as they followed J'onn, Wonder Woman bringing up the rear.  
After a little while they came to a stop, "We lost them," Wonder Woman said.  
"For now," Batman countered ominously as he slipped on a pair of thick knuckle dusters that crackled with energy when he fisted his hands, he smiled at the result.  
"Look," J'onn said, pointing at a rock floating in a glowing red pod in the centre of the chamber, "It's the central core," he told them.

"How do we shut it down?" Batman asked.  
"The ion matrix crystal," J'onn answered, meaning the floating rock, "If we can remove that we'll shut down the whole plant," he explained. "I'll need a diversion," J'onn said.  
"You got it," Batman responded, slicing through a pipe of some kind with a well-aimed batarang sending dark ooze all over dozens of the parasites. Wonder Woman took his lead, ripping out tubes and cutting through pipes, causing as much chaos as possible. J'onn ghosted through the floor as Batman fought through the hordes, his knuckle dusters crackling with energy, Wonder Woman making her own fun.

J'onn phased up near the crystal casually throwing the attending parasite off the platform they stood on and pulling it out of its pod, the result was immediate, however J'onn was hit from behind at close range, flinging him off the platform and making him drop the crystal. He hit the ground hard and didn't move.  
"J'onn!" Wonder Woman called in worry, slicing her way through the parasites to the Martian's side. "Get him out!" Batman ordered, fighting off a few parasites, "Now!" he emphasised, throwing one parasite into another.

Wonder Woman scooped J'onn up bridal style and flew off in a hurry. One of the parasites had the wit to try closing the door, Batman scooping up the crystal as he used his grapple to get across the room. Wonder Woman made it through with J'onn but Batman wasn't so lucky, the door closing in his face. Batman couldn't break through the door and the parasites circled him, he threw the crystal at their feet. Wonder Woman tried to come to his rescue on the other side of the door but she couldn't break it either. The sound of gunfire and tremors on the door as well as J'onn telling her there was nothing she could do all did their part to convince her of Batman's death.

Wonder Woman slammed her fist into the wall, "They will pay dearly for this," she vowed before they fled the building. While waiting for the others of the Justice League Wonder Woman and J'onn watched the chaos of the city from a rooftop.  
"Perhaps mother was right about mankind, they're nothing but untamed savages," Wonder Woman commented.  
"Do not judge them too harshly," J'onn advised, "They act out of fear."  
They watched as two men tried to lift a fallen part of building, "Hey! A little help?!" one of them called, "There's kids trapped under here! Someone give us a hand!" he implored.  
A green energy surrounded the rubble and it lifted away, "Will this do?" Lantern asked as Flash and Cyborg rescued the trapped kids. They saw the kids safely with the adults before moving off to join the others on the roof, Flash running up the side of the building to get there.

"What did you call us back for?" Flash asked them.  
"Superman has been captured," Wonder Woman answered, pointing to the factory, "He's in there somewhere with Shazam," she explained.  
"Woah," flash commented.  
"What about Batman?" Cyborg asked. Wonder Woman didn't answer.  
"He acted heroically, 'till the very end," J'onn answered.  
"The Bat's gone?" Flash asked in saddened disbelief.  
"No way Batman goes down that easy," Lantern denied it not wanting to believe Batman was dead. "He was a true warrior," Wonder Woman agreed.  
"This is not good, definitely not good," Lantern pointed out.


	5. Here to rescue you?

The group snuck closer to the factory that held their friends, skirting inside the perimeter the remaining tripod was patrolling.  
"I can't believe we are doing this again," Lantern said.  
"If Superman and Shazam are in there we need to get them out," Cyborg said, partially worrying for his young friend.  
"You are sure they're still in there, aren't you?" Flash asked J'onn, J'onn was still and didn't answer, "J'onn?"Flash asked.  
"Yes," J'onn answered, "They're still alive but we must act quickly, the Imperium is coming," he warned them.  
"The who?" Lantern asked.  
"The supreme intelligence that controls these parasites," he explained, "We have met before," he added looking off into the distance.

"Can we trust this space case?" Lantern asked Flash.  
"What choice do we have?" Flash countered.  
"Enough of this talk, we must rescue our friends," Wonder Woman said, standing, "Flash create a diversion, catch up with the rest of us later," she ordered before taking off, the others right behind her. Flash took off, running between the legs of the tripod, coming to a stop behind the thing. Picking up a chunk of concrete Flash wound up like a baseball pitcher and bounced the throw off the top of it. "Tag! You're it!" he yelled at the tripod before blowing a raspberry at it. The tripod fired at Flash, him zooming away to dodge, the tripod following.

"Not even close!" Flash taunted, posing against some rubble and pretending to yawn. "Come on slowpoke, I dare ya, over here!" Flash cajoled. The tripod moved as if to crush Flash with one of its feet, Flash zipping away almost casually as the tripod brought its foot down, triggering one of the organic land-mines and blowing its leg off. "ooo, you really stepped in it, that time," Flash joked as the tripod toppled over, exploding as it landed. "Buh-bye," Flash said, waving sardonically before running off to catch up with the others who had already slipped inside.

"Where are they being held?" Lantern asked J'onn as they flew through the factory.  
"This way," the Martian answered, leading them down a turn in the twisted corridors. They landed just before a blind corner, Flash catching up to them.  
"Hope I didn't keep you," he said wittily.  
Suddenly the harsh voices of the parasites sounded from around the corner, the League and J'onn ducked back against the wall to avoid being seen.

J'onn peered ahead to see two of the parasites talking, "Wait here," he instructed the Leaguers before shifting his form to match that of the parasites. J'onn went up two the two parasites and told them something in their own language, presumably about the 'intruders' as he pointed back to where the others were hiding. Returning to his humanoid form as soon as they weren't looking J'onn followed them back to the League, ghosting his arms through their bodies before solidifying with his arms still there and killing them.

Ghosting again to let the bodies drop he looked to the others, "Come," he said simply, leading the way.  
"Is it just me or does he creep you out too?" Flash asked rhetorically as they followed him.  
J'onn led them through the labyrinth of corridors and pathways, "We are close now," he informed them leading them to a twisted knot of a door, "I sense they are somewhere beyond these walls," he said, his voice certain but a little airy.  
Wonder Woman tried to break through either by fist of sword, "It's no use, we'll have to find another way," she said when it didn't work.  
Cyborg stepped forward, "Step back," he warned the others, transforming his arm into a laser and beginning to cut a hole in the wall.

J'onn seemed to sense something as he looked skyward, "We haven't much time left," he warned them. Soon the others felt the quakes as something big entered the Earth's atmosphere even as Cyborg continued cutting.  
"What is it?" Flash asked.  
"It's a ship entering Earth's airspace," Lantern answered.  
"It is the Imperium," J'onn clarified just before Cyborg finished cutting open the wall. Inside they could see Superman and Shazam suspended upside down from the ceiling, their bodies encased up to their hips in the same organic material as the factory was made of. Cyborg and Flash ran to Shazam while Wonder Woman headed for Superman, Lantern wasn't far behind them when J'onn called out, "Wait! Something is not right."

His warning came a little too late as Shazam and Superman's eyes opened to reveal abnormally solid red eyes. Lantern ran as the hole they'd just cut resealed itself, "It's a trap!" he shouted needlessly as the walls grew spouting jets of gas that soon had the whole League and J'onn dropping, all of them unable to concentrate enough to use their abilities. Incredibly quickly all of them were unconscious.

J'onn came to again as he heard someone calling his name, "J'onn! J'onn! Wake up!" J'onn jerked awake to see all of them imprisoned in the control centre of the factory, their arms and legs trapped by the organic matter of the angled platform they were on.  
"Superman," he said, recognising the one who had been calling to him, the others were still asleep. "You shouldn't have risked your lives for us," the Man of Steel reprimanded.  
"Would you have done less for me?" J'onn countered just as Flash came to with a groaned, "Oh, my aching head."

Their attention was drawn to the platform they were displayed under as one of the parasites strutted forward. "Earth's mightiest heroes," It mocked before changing forms into someone Superman easily recognised, "Welcome," it greeted.  
"Senator Carter," Superman said, naming the power behind the movement to disarm the nukes. "Unfortunately the real Carter never returned from Mars," the fake disclosed, almost joyfully.  
"You used me to weaken Earth's defences," Superman growled, really wanting to hit him with a blast from his heat vision but for some reason his abilities weren't working properly.

"You were so eager to help," Carter teased before adding, "and your powers aren't working because the clouds we're producing block all radiation," it told Superman smugly.  
"It's not over yet," Superman growled.  
"Wrong again, Superman," Carter said as the ceiling opened up to reveal a spaceship hovering above them. A smaller ship came away from the larger vessel and almost floated down to land on the platform above the heroes.  
"All hail the Imperium!" Carter declared as all the parasites bowed towards the ship.

A door opened up beneath the ship with a large eruption of steam. When the steam cleared away it revealed a huge purplish, slimy blob with tendrils like a jellyfish floating on the platform. In its grasp was what looked like a smaller, daintier and severely emaciated version of J'onn's Martian form. The tendrils of the Imperium were dug under their flesh as it carried the battered looking smaller Martian. Superman looked to J'onn to question him but stopped when he saw the look on his face. It was one of horror as he started wordlessly at the tiny being in the Imperium's tendrils. Flash thought he saw a tear roll down J'onn's cheek.


	6. Crisis avertedsort of

The little Martian seemed to be bruised, their skin a mottled collection of greens and yellows. One of their arms hung at an odd angle, as well as a leg. Darker marks all over the almost skeleton like body looked to be burns, accompanied by what could only be cuts, still weeping iridescently emerald green blood. They seemed to stir as the Imperium spoke to J'onn.  
"J'onn J'onzz, it's been a long time," it almost cooed conversationally, sickening the now awakened Justice League. They watched the little being focus on them from where they dangled above them, not noticing when two parasites moved closer to J'onn until they were right next him. The parasites shoved pronged staves into J'onn's shoulders that zapped him with an amount of electricity that even Shazam would have felt.

The League watched, horrified and unable to help, as J'onn shuddered and gave choked screams for several long seconds that felt like eternity. J'onn's form rippled and twisted until he was in his natural Martian state, he fell limp with his body shivering from the electricity, once the staves were removed. As stunned as they were by their new friend's torture, the coarse cry that followed shocked them more.  
"Băpa!" the heart-wrenching, pain laden cry seemed to echo through the chamber. The League looked up to see the little Martian's face, under the bruises, was a mask of worry with tears in their eyes.

Superman struggled even harder against his restraints as the Imperium's tendrils dug even further into the tiny body, crackling with energy as the Imperium seemed to squeeze.  
"I think it is time, you've struggled against death for so long, why don't you submit to your fate?" The Imperium questioned smugly, obviously enjoying the effect it was having on the heroes. The Justice League watched in amazement as the little Martian grabbed one of the tendrils with their unbroken arm and gave a glare the Batman would be proud of towards the Imperium.

With blood trickling from the corner of their mouth they snarled at the Imperium, eyes practically glowing, despite their injured body, the little Martian wasn't defeated in the least. "S'ar…yorg…zar'ga…dresgá!" they declared, coughing up even more blood.  
Flash turned to J'onn to ask, "Who are they?"  
J'onn's voice was strained, "My daughter, J'azmin," he answered before he shook his head, seemingly to clear it.  
"Now! Do it now!" He cried before an explosion echoed through the room.

J'azmin was tired, she was always tired, They wouldn't let her sleep.  
She had been captured, much like others before her although this time the point was to deal a psychological blow to the Resistance. The Resistance thought her dead and They thought her broken but J'azmin drew strength from the fact that before her capture she had devised a nerve gas that could take Them down, it would paralyse Them.

J'azmin sighed in relief when the paralytic gas spread through Their stronghold, true she would be trapped in her cell but at least the systematic torture and psychic feedings would end. She listened with every sense she had, saddened by the deaths of the few others left on Mars. She wept with joy, however, when she sensed that one survived. The survivor was the leader of the Resistance, J'onn J'onzz, her father.

After 500 years the war was finally over, J'azmin felt her imprisonment was a fair trade, using her now endless time in the life-sustaining cell J'azmin practiced her mental abilities, her shapeshifting, density shifting and true-sleep supressed by the cuffs. After 100 years of constant practise J'azmin was overjoyed when she was able to project an astral being into the sleeping mind of J'onn, unfortunately he thought she was a product of his own lonely mind.

Disheartened J'azmin practised on the minds of the parasites, learning to enter, control and even alter their minds. She took no pleasure from it but she even learnt to overwhelm and shatter the stronger minds or shield herself completely from them if stronger minds attacked in return. 

J'azmin had spent so long in her own mind, her only anchors to reality the minds of the parasites and occasional attempts to convince her father she wasn't a hallucination, that she nearly missed it when two new beings landed on Mars.

Horrified when the being from earth fell down a fissure to land practically at the doors to the stronghold, J'azmin did her best to try and wake J'onn but she couldn't do anything in time, the earthing accidentally released the parasites.  
The earthing would never make it back home.  
J'azmin lamented the parasites' return to mobility but she did get J'onn to flee to earth to warn them by pretending to be her mother's voice in his head.  
She did not regret it, even as the Imperium dug its evil tendrils into her mind and body, punishing her for her 'indiscretions' against them.

J'azmin had no way of knowing how much time had passed since the parasites had been unsealed but suddenly she was being dragged from her cell for the first time in around 500 years, of course she struggled as best she could but emaciation, even for a Martian, is inevitable if immobile for long periods so at best she made it harder for the four of them to carry her. She took the small victory even as she was dragged aboard the Imperium's ship.

With her acutely tuned mental powers she sensed they were headed for earth, where J'onn and a few others were imprisoned but that was all she managed before the Imperium siphoned off a lot of her psychic energy, J'azmin fighting to hold on to the base amount needed to live.  
She came to when she heard the evil blob speaking, "J'onn J'onzz, it's been a long time," it almost cooed conversationally. Forcing herself to focus on the prisoners displayed below her limp and hanging form, the Imperium dangling her like a macabre puppet from its tendrils.

J'azmin watched as two parasties zapped the trapped J'onn with staves until the human-ish form he was holding collapsed to his natural Martian form, calling out in raspy Martian at his cries, "Papa!" she screamed, her pained cry seeming to echo through the room.  
The others imprisoned down with J'onn, still mildly stunned from the older Martian's own torture watched with horrified silence as the Imperium dug its tendrils in deeper under J'azmin's skin, squeezing her and attacking her with electrified psychic waves.  
"I think it is time, you've struggled against death for so long, why don't you submit to your fate?" The Imperium questioned smugly, enjoying how her cries affected J'onn and the others. "I…will…never…submit!" She declared in Martian, coughing up more of the slightly iridescent, emerald blood that had accumulated from her torn throat and was running down her chin.  
"Now! Do it now!" J'onn shouted out.

An explosion had everyone's attention shifting to the power pod of the room, the cause revealed to be Batman.  
"Batman?!" Flash asked, astonished.  
"I told you he wouldn't go down that easy!" Lantern practically crowed.  
"I mentally shielded him so he couldn't be detected," J'onn explained as Batman stuck a cube like device onto the power crystal, instantly altering the power from red to blue.  
"What have you done?!" Carter asked.  
"Reversed the ion charge," Batman answered stoically as the wave of blue went through the whole factory and he moved to free J'onn.

"The crystal! Destroy it!" The Imperium ordered, panicked, its grip loosening on J'azmin. The energy bolts struck harmlessly against the now blue pod.  
"It's shielded!" Carter exclaimed as Batman finished freeing J'onn and moved on to Wonder Woman. The blue energy chose that moment to finish its trek through the factory and sent a column of blue-white energy into the clouds above, pushing them away and allowing sunlight to stream through the open ceiling. The parasites steamed and fled the light in a panic.  
J'onn used the opportunity to free J'azmin from the Imperium's tendrils and together, although J'onn did most of the work, they used the very same tendrils to pull the Imperium out of the shade and into the bright sunlight.

"You live underground and shun the light, why? Does it burn your pale, putrid skin? " J'onn said, enraged. The Imperium screamed as its skin bubbled and steamed.  
"Ooh, that is one nasty sunburn," Flash commented, not able to do much else.  
"Ultraviolet rays coming from the depths of space, the parasites have no resistance to our sun's radiation," Batman explained as he worked on releasing Wonder Woman. Superman smirked as he felt his strength returning, weakening his bindings with his heat vision before breaking through.  
"So you did find their weakness after all," Wonder Woman commented as Batman freed her arm.

"Destroy them!" The Imperium managed to order through its pained screams. Wonder Woman defended Batman with her bracelet, putting her arm around him to reach, while he worked on freeing her other arm. Superman quickly covered them by peeling up part of the floor to shield them from the blasts, the effect was similar to peeling back a scab. Using his heat vision to free Cyborg while he held up the floor, Cyborg quickly freed Shazam and Lantern while the now freed Wonder Woman broke Flash out.

Shazam, Flash and Batman distracted the troops and gave the heroes who could fly cover as they worked on destroying the roof and allowing more sunlight into the factory. J'onn and J'azmin were holding the Imperium immobile in the sunlight but a side swipe from a free tendril knocked the already weakened J'azmin flying. Using the momentary distraction this caused in J'onn to dig it's tendrils into the older Martian's head, the Imperium used a huge blast of energy to knock J'onn out before dropping him and fleeing to its ship.  
Carter saw the Imperium boarding its ship and tried to go too, clinging to the Imperium, who knocked him flying saying, "Unhand me, worm." Carter soon melted in the sunlight.

Wonder Woman saw the Imperium's ship leaving and used her lasso to catch a narrower part of the vessel, stopping it from leaving. Superman flew down to J'onn and J'azmin, gently picking up the smaller Martian, being careful not to jostle her broken arm or leg. Wonder Woman was occupied holding the ship from leaving so Shazam flew to the front of it and began using electrified punches to shatter the hull before it could leave. Wonder Woman took advantage of the failing ship to swing it into the factory, the resulting explosion killing everything inside.  
The wreckage crashed through a few levels and would have landed on Batman if not for the timely intervention of Flash carrying him out of there.  
"Hate to lose you again," was all he said as he put the detective down.

The factory crumbling and exploding around him prompted Flash to ask, "Maybe we should get out of here?"  
Superman flew up to them with an unconscious J'azmin cradled in his arms, "What about the podded people?" he asked.  
Batman shook his head, "They're already dead," he informed them.  
Superman nodded in understanding before calling out, "Shazam! Get J'onn, we're out of here!" Shazam saluted before scooping J'onn up and flying out of there. Lantern grabbed Flash and Wonder Woman carried Batman as they all flew out of the crumbling factory.

J'onn woke up just as they exited the Factory and ghosted out of Shazam's arms to move closer to Superman. At the look on J'onn's face, Superman handed his precious cargo over and they all turned to watch the factory explode. After they all landed on the roof of the Daily Planet J'onn watched in satisfaction as the clouds dispersed, J'azmin cradled in his arms.  
"This isn't over just yet," Batman reminded them.  
Superman looked over to J'onn, "We could use your help in this J'onn," he said.  
J'onn nodded, "And I will gladly give it," he looked to J'azmin, "But I need to help my daughter first," he said.  
"Atlantis will the best place for her," Batman put in, "Aquaman's healers would be more qualified to deal with her injuries and she'll be safer there," he reasoned.  
Cyborg smiled, "Now all we have to do is ask him," he said.


End file.
